Archive: Math Education Reform

Math and science education are not the only concerns when it comes to international competitiveness in a global economy. The United States is losing ground in one area where it used to set the world's standard: high school graduation rates....

Education Week hosted a webinar yesterday called "Why Students Struggle with Algebra and How Schools Are Helping." Two of the three presenters came from Chicago Public Schools, former stomping grounds for Education Secretary Arne Duncan. The school system has set...

Forget national standards. A growing chorus of educators are looking beyond US borders and pushing for international benchmarks of what and how children should be taught to be successful in a borderless economy. "No longer do we compare Iowa against...

Every winter at Fairfax High School, math teachers hold lunch-time study sessions for students who need to take (or re-take) the Standards of Learning exams. Most of the students are newcomers to Virginia who need to pass the standardized math...

Today’s education page in the Washington Post features a series of letters to Education Secretary nominee Arne Duncan. Reporter Valerie Strauss asked some experts -- including a university chancellor, a school superintendent, and an education professor -- to send in...

I had my first day back in class today. We started with a lesson on graphing quadratic equations. Tricia Colclaser, the teacher, gave a mini-introduction and walked around the room while we practiced. As she checked in with everyone, Colclaser...

I just stumbled upon a web site for an interesting new program that is recruiting and training math teachers to work in poor urban schools that are particularly starved for talent. It's called Math for America, and it's modeled after...

Public schools are full of special programs for kids who are struggling and for kids who are high achievers. But there's lots of room to get lost for kids in the middle. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings visited my school today...

Recruiting math professionals into teaching at all levels is a big challenge. But few people realize the kind of math smarts you need to get elementary students grounded in basic skills. It turns out a lot of elementary teachers...

While Virginia has been celebrating its recently released 4-year high school graduation rate (81 percent -- higher than in many other states), an interesting article from Inside Higher Ed highlights the dismal 6-year graduation rates at many city colleges (19...

Michael Alison Chandler's ongoing coverage of math education also includes an occasional series of articles in the Post newspaper. The first installment, "At Fairfax High, Another Approach As System Tries to Up Subject Appeal," ran on Sunday, Sept. 21. Many...